Greece, Hellenistic period, ca. 3rd century BCE. A mold-made terracotta figure of a standing female who wears a long cloak over her shoulders and holds the fabric around her body, succeeding in covering her privates though barely covering the remaining front view of her nude form despite her efforts. Her hair is elegantly pulled back and adorned by a diadem. Nice remains of white and red pigment are visible on much of the figure. In addition to the red band ringing the integral pedestal base, there are red fine lines accentuating areas of her body, garment, and necklace. Size: 7.875" H (20 cm)
During the Hellenistic Period, Greeks had access to knowledge about the past through institutions like the Library of Alexandria, creating a sense of history and connection to the Greeks who had come before them. Prominent Hellenistic art collectors commissioned pieces based on public statues from the earlier Classical Period, and smaller, more available art forms like this sculpture echoed the naturalistic, detailed classical style. Terracotta figures like this one have been found in private dwellings where they may have been part of a shrine or had a religious purpose. Others decorate tombs and sanctuaries; in Tanagra, the site that this style of figure is named for, some graves have up to a dozen of these statuettes. Perhaps they represented mourners, dressed in finery to attend a funeral.
Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection; ex-Bonhams London Antiquities Auction, 8 May, 2013, part of lot 151; ex-Joseph Klein collection, formed in New York, New York, USA between 1941 and 1980, thence by descent
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#132833
Condition
Normal surface wear. Tiny nicks to edges of the mold. Pigment losses though much white pigment remains across the figure; a red band rings the integral pedestal base, and red fine lines accentuate areas of her body/garment/necklace.